How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Paragraph)
Quote #4
[…] some at least of what he did he liked to do, such as splitting wood with the half-size axe. (68)
This shows that Sarty didn't find everything about his life unbearable. If it wasn't for the whole barn burning thing, he could probably tolerate the situation. Like most kids, he wants to live at home. He even seems to stop dreaming of running away when he thinks his father has stopped burning barns.
Quote #5
"Better tie him up to the bedpost." (93)
It's interesting that Abner doesn't go along with the older brother's suggestion. He doesn't want to humiliate his son by tying him up. Even though he isn't tied up, the suggestion symbolizes the way his youth has been tied up by all the complications that result from his father's barn burning.